News

July 7th, 2014

Downtown Ithaca Welcomes Community Foundation

Downtown Ithaca is now home to one of the area’s largest charitable organizations.

On Thursday, July 10, 2014, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance will join the City of Ithaca and the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce in welcoming the Community Foundation of Tompkins County to its new downtown headquarters at 200 East Buffalo Street, Suite 202. Following a ribbon cutting at 12:00 PM, there will be tours, light refreshments, and other festivities until 2:00 PM.

Established in 2000, the Community Foundation of Tompkins County is a not-for-profit public foundation dedicated to working with all people committed to local philanthropy and civic engagement as a means to enhance the quality of life for all who live and work in Tompkins County. Since its inception, it has awarded over 1,600 grants totaling nearly $6 million that support a variety of charitable interests, including arts, literacy, and sustainability. The Community Foundation also provides its partners with investment stewardship, financial analytics, and educational resources.

George Ferrari, CEO of the Community Foundation, reports that the organization has been fortunate enough to experience rapid growth in gifts, donors, and grants over the last two years. “Support from a number of donors, including a major unrestricted bequest, enabled program and staff expansions and a move to new offices. We have invested in a downtown base for philanthropy education to prepare for and capitalize on the challenges and opportunities ahead and better serve even more donors, nonprofits, and advisors throughout Tompkins County.”

Says Gary Ferguson, Executive Director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, “We are so glad to welcome the Community Foundation into the downtown district. Not only does this organization generously serve the broader Tompkins County region, but it has also been most helpful to downtown and the many community interests and organizations that make downtown their home.”

All of Downtown Ithaca’s ribbon cuttings are free and open to the public.